


Darkest Places, Brightest Lights

by dreaminginscenes



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Just a cute idea for cuteness sake, Light Angst, Mutual Pining, New Dream, Pining, which I probably won’t continue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:01:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26187634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreaminginscenes/pseuds/dreaminginscenes
Summary: The best days for the greatest thief Flynn Rider are the days he’s in jail—because then he gets to see Princess Rapunzel.AU in which Rapunzel grows up a princess and Eugene is a thief who is smitten with her.
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Rapunzel
Comments: 5
Kudos: 18





	Darkest Places, Brightest Lights

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by viioletlights on tumblr! Thank you!

Eugene tossed the stone he’d found back and forth in his hands. He wasn’t particularly worried about this charge. It was just petty theft—a loaf of bread in the market—so he was sure he’d be let out after a day. Which was more than fine by him, because that meant she would likely stop by. She always did.

Sure enough, the familiar sound of delicate footsteps echoed through the hall. Eugene scurried to the bars to catch the first glimpse of her coming down the staircase.

Every time he saw her, it was like he’d forgotten how beautiful she was. Or maybe she just became more beautiful every time he ended up here. This time especially took his breath away. Maybe because it had been almost a year since he’d been arrested; maybe because she really was just that stunning. Either way, her hair shimmered like spun gold in the early afternoon light and her eyes lit up at the sight of the occupant in the cell.

Rapunzel hurried to meet him at the bars. She took a quick glance around, ensuring they were alone, before leaning close with a mischievous grin. “Pretty sloppy of you, getting thrown in here for a loaf of bread. Did you miss me?”

Eugene rested his forehead against the bars to better stare at her. He could get used to a view like this. “Don’t flatter yourself, Blondie.”

She bit her lip, failing to hide her smile. Eugene took the opportunity of her brief distraction to spot the freckle he loved under her right eye. He’d never told her, but he’d managed to count them over the years, and that one was his favorite. It was hidden and faint; it took some searching to find it, but once you did it made everything that much more enchanting. Eugene liked to think that single freckle was a lot like Rapunzel in that sense; a beauty hidden away that he was privileged enough to experience all for himself.

“So,” she hummed, “You’ve been away for a while. I was starting to think you cleaned up your act or something. I was actually disappointed.”

Eugene gave her a sly smirk, “Should a future monarch really be asking for criminal activity in her kingdom?”

“Please, a loaf of bread is hardly worth the sentence they’re giving you. And speaking of,” Rapunzel crossed her arms, “Since when did you resort to stealing food like that? And getting caught for it?”

“Ah ha, that,” Eugene ran a hand down his neck, suddenly a bit sheepish. “Well, actually it was a couple of girls. I’ve seen them on the streets for a while now. When they stole the bread, I took the blame. I’d rather get thrown in the clink for something trivial than a couple of kids not get something to eat.”

Rapunzel immediately softened and placed her hand over his resting on the bars, “Eugene…”

“Hey, don’t worry about me,” he resisted the urge to brush back a rogue strand of hair falling over her eyes. “I’ll be fine. One night in a cell is hardly punishment when I have such good company.”

The pair held each other’s gaze for a moment. Eugene could have sworn the touch of her hand on his was warmer than the sunlight streaming in through the windows.

“As I was saying,” Rapunzel began, her voice lower to prevent an echo, “You’ve been gone so long. I really missed you.”

Eugene’s heart skipped a beat, “I...I missed you too. Maybe that’s part of why I let myself get caught. I’m getting too good, I guess. Makes it hard to see you.”

Rapunzel giggled, “So, did you bring me anything? It’s been a year, you gotta have something to show me.”

“Sadly, I didn’t pocket anything particularly interesting to bring you this morning. But I snagged this on my way from the docks,” Eugene held up the stone in his hand.

Rapunzel beamed in excitement at the simple white stone. “Is that quartz?!” She attempted to snatch the rock from him, but Eugene deftly yanked it out of her reach, utilizing his considerable height difference. 

“Hey! I haven’t completed the demonstration yet!”

She pouted—adorably—but let him continue.

Eugene couldn’t resist his dopey smile as he held the stone up to the light streaming in through the window. “I thought you’d like how it catches the light.”

“I do,” she sighed, staring at the sparkling light refracting through the quartz’s fractured texture. “If I paint something on one side, it would make a lovely shadow. Or maybe I could hang a few of them and make a little chandelier—”

Eugene kept his eyes fixated on Rapunzel as she rambled on through different ways to enhance the stone’s unique properties. Her ability to find wonder in the simplest things never ceased to amaze him. It was perhaps that ability that made her find interest in a scrawny street urchin hidden away in the cells beneath the castle all those years ago. 

He’d been thrown in for some petty crime he couldn’t even remember anymore; he was only thirteen at the time. Just freshly freed from the suffocating atmosphere of the orphanage, Eugene had been decent with his thieving but still managed to get caught on small things, usually when Lance overlooked something and Eugene had to take the fall for it. Or Flynn Rider, as he had taken to calling himself.

There in a lonely castle cell, Eugene had been plenty content to idle away his short sentence dozing and counting the bricks until a small girl appeared. She was no more than eight, but she possessed such skill as to make the gruff men sharing the cells around him light up with laughter. Eugene couldn’t help but be intrigued by her. A short conversation with the bubbly bright-eyed princess had secured his amiable acquaintance. The next time he found himself in one of those gloomy cells, Rapunzel had returned to brighten his day. That secured his friendship with her, one that made getting caught in his reprehensible acts actually give him a surge of joy at the prospect of seeing her again.

Eugene finally handed Rapunzel the piece of quartz, “For the lady.”

She curtsied, “Why thank you, kind gentleman,” She turned over the stone a few times in her hand. “So how’s Lance doing? I haven’t seen him around in a really long time.”

Eugene rolled his eyes at the mention of his old compatriot. “I don’t know where he is anymore. We haven’t met up for any jobs in awhile, but I’m sure he’s off pulling the wool over some unsuspecting rich sap’s eyes like always.”

Rapunzel giggled, “Well next time you see him, send him my love for me, will you?”

A familiar twinge churned in Eugene’s gut, which was ridiculous. Yes, the first time Lance and Eugene had been thrown into the cells together, Rapunzel and Lance had got along swimmingly. And yes, it had been stupid of Eugene to sit in the corner sulking at their friendly teasing. And yes, it had been _really_ stupid to make sure he got caught with Stalyan just to make Rapunzel jealous; mostly because she looked ready to cry the whole time, which was not something Eugene wanted to repeat ever again.

So really, he had no reason to be jealous of Lance and Rapunzel’s easy friendship. Not that he was jealous. At all.

Eugene huffed in annoyance, “Do you want me to give him a kiss on the cheek, too?”

“Sure, why not!” Before he could react, Rapunzel pecked Eugene’s cheek through the bars. His knees practically turned to jelly.

He had trouble forming words for a moment, “Uhm, well I’m definitely not going to do that. You can do it yourself next time he’s in.”

Rapunzel’s face suddenly dropped. “About that...I don’t know if I’ll be able to.”

Eugene’s heart began to race; he refused to believe the inevitable was true. “What do you mean?”

She fiddled with the lace on her sleeves. “I don’t think I’ll have as much freedom to move around the palace anymore. Not after…”

_Please. Please don’t say it._

“...Not after I’m married.”

Eugene’s fist white-knuckled the bar he still held. Rapunzel had no such thing as freedom; she had _allowances._ The idea that even those would be stripped away from her “for her safety” was the worst lie he’d ever heard. Her parents could only hold that attempted kidnapping over her head for so long and have it still be a reasonable excuse. She was just a baby when that happened; Rapunzel was a grown woman now, she could make her own decisions, especially if she was meant to be ruler someday.

Which, apparently, that day was coming sooner than Eugene liked. He remembered how Rapunzel had comforted him when the prospect of a forced marriage hung over his own head. The thought of her enduring the same thing made his blood boil. “This is ridiculous,” Eugene growled. “You shouldn’t have to be a prisoner in your own home.”

She attempted half of a smile, “Says the man stuck behind bars.”

“I mean it, Rapunzel,” Eugene grabbed her hand in his. “You shouldn’t be locked up like this. You deserve to experience so much more than what’s in these walls.”

Rapunzel averted her eyes, now watery with tears. “Eugene, I have enough. I can explore my interests, and I’m safe and provided for. What more could I want? Plus,” She accidentally sniffled, betraying her restrained emotion. “I have you and your stories.”

Eugene fought back the tears stinging at his own eyes. “You said it yourself, we’re not going to see each other when…” the words were acid in his mouth, “When you get married.”

“I know,” Rapunzel mumbled. “But it’s nice to believe nothing will change.”

“Rapunzel…” Eugene hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her face to his. A tear rolled down her cheek that Eugene took a second to wipe away with his thumb. “Something has to change. You need to stand up for yourself. Tell them that you get to make these choices for yourself, and you need to be able to if you’re going to be queen someday.” 

Truthfully, this was not the solution Eugene thought was best. If anything, he wanted to carry out the plan he had fantasized of climbing up to her tower room and taking her far away from the palace, the kingdom, and everything else that tried to contain her. But he’d never been brave enough to ask that of her. It was fitting, really, that the one fear of the kingdom’s most fearless thief had nothing to do with being locked up, but everything to do with losing the thing he treasured most.

Rapunzel searched Eugene’s gaze as though she could read his innermost thoughts. “Eugene?” Her breath ghosted over his cheeks. 

“Yes?”

She pursed her lips, still intensely holding his stare. “What if...what if we—”

The clang of metal snapped them both to attention. Heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs. Eugene and Rapunzel exchanged one final look, knowing it might be the last time they had the chance.

Rapunzel squeezed his hand once before fleeing down the corridor to the opposite door where she could escape. Eugene couldn’t even hold her back a moment longer, no matter how much he longed for one last glance from her.

The steps rounded the stairs, revealing the captain, a set of guards, and two burly thugs Eugene unfortunately recognized. His old occasional partners in crime, the Stabbingtons.

He flashed a smug grin as the cell door opened and the pair was shoved inside with him. “Hey boys! Long time no see!”

The captain gave quick orders to the two guards before shooting Eugene a glare. “I don’t want to hear any ruckus down here. Just get along and there won’t be trouble.”

Eugene saluted the mustached man. “Aye aye, Captain.”

The man gruffed then turned on heel and left, closely followed by the attending guards.

With the armored brutes gone, Eugene leaned his back against the bars to face the brothers. “Well I have to say I’m surprised to see you two here, considering—”

In the blink of an eye the eye-patched man grabbed Eugene by the collar and slammed him against the bars. “Save it, Rider. We know you’ve got an in with the princess.”

Spots danced across Eugene’s vision, “Wh—what?! How—who says that? What is that supposed to mean?”

The other brother leered over his twin’s shoulder. “Doesn’t matter how we know. The point is that you’re sitting pretty with the princess and we want in.”

Air wasn’t filling Eugene’s lungs, and it had nothing to do with the vice-grip holding him. “In? What do you mean ‘in?’”

“Everyone knows the rumors about the attempted kidnapping, that a witch used the princess’s hair for a healing spell. The entire kingdom knows that’s why they’ve never cut her hair.”

“What are you saying?” He said evenly to prevent the tension in his nerves from reaching his voice.

“We’re saying,” the side-burned brother hissed with a cock-eyed grin, “You help us out, and we’ll give you a portion of the sale price for your little walking Fountain of Youth.”

“And if not,” the brother restraining Eugene tightened his hold, “We’ll just have to do it ourselves.”

Ice ran through Eugene’s veins. Now what?


End file.
